


Remember Me

by WanreNolde



Series: Remember Me [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Abusive Dursley Family (Harry Potter), Harry Potter Has a Twin, Past Child Abuse, Redeemed Draco Malfoy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:42:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 13,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27840946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WanreNolde/pseuds/WanreNolde
Summary: Harry James Potter had never had a family before, not really. Now that he did, he held his sister close and kissed the top of her head. Now that he did, he held Sirius’ hand through the bars on his cell. Now that he did, he hugged Remus before boarding the train back to Kings Cross Station. Now that he did, he found himself swept up into the arms of James Henderson before they headed back to America for the summer.Now that he did, he never wanted to let them go.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Remember Me [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2037925
Comments: 4
Kudos: 19





	1. Chapter 1

Lilian Nichole Henderson was completely normal, as far as anyone else was concerned. Her parents had adopted her when she was one, had given her a loving home with three siblings and a dog, and had joked around with her on every occasion possible. She lived in a normal North Carolina house in a normal North Carolina neighborhood and went to a normal North Carolina Middle School with her normal North Carolina brother.

However, Lilian Nichole Henderson knew that she was far from normal. Her parents had found her on Halloween night, nothing but a baby in a basket on a doorstep - the only information on her parentage was found in a note signed by one “A. Dumbledore.” They were wizards, she had a twin brother, she was from England, and her parents, Lily and James Potter, were dead. Killed by a dark wizard who had attempted to kill both her and her brother. 

Lilian had known all of this since she was six, sitting in the car with her parents on the way to pick Anthony up from soccer practice. She asked her mother why she didn’t look like her - why she had red hair like her father but green eyes unlike either of theirs - and why sometimes, in the middle of the night, she woke up to see all of her books floating in her room. She said that she had tried telling Anne, but her older sister had simply scoffed, calling it all a dream while smearing more mascara on her thick lashes. Elizabeth had said the same, although she hated agreeing with the oldest girl, and Anthony hadn’t even paid attention, too focused on building the fire for s’mores night with Dad. 

Her parents had simply looked at each other and sighed before explaining everything - that she wasn’t normal, and they weren’t sure what to do about her magic. They said they had been trying to find an “A. Dumbledore” for years with absolutely no luck, and wondered if maybe he simply didn’t want to be found. They didn’t know why he had brought her there, all the way from England to their little blue house in North Carolina, but they were so glad he had because she was their family and they loved her.

Lilian asked about her brother, but they didn’t know where or who he was, all they knew was one hint about her past and how she could find him - her last name before adoption, Potter.

She had never found him and now, as she blew out the candles on her 13th birthday, she wished the same thing she had wished since then - to find her family. She loved her normal North Carolina family and their lives, but she wanted to know more, to understand what had happened and why she and her twin had to be separated.

It was then, in that very moment, that the door to their little blue house thundered with a loud knock, her father opening it to see a very large man with a very large beard next to a smaller man with an even longer beard. 

“Rubeus Hagrid,” the larger man introduced himself to her father as she and her three siblings stared from the end of the long hallway. 

“James Henderson,” her father said quietly, his warm voice calming her anxiety, “it’s a pleasure to meet you. And you Mr. -”

“Albus Dumbledore,” the old man spoke, causing gasps to erupt from all of the Hendersons. Her father gestured for them to enter, guiding them into the living room and asking for everyone to sit.

Lilian Nichole Henderson sat next to her oldest sister, the tall blonde girl stroking her little sister’s hair as she shook. Elizabeth and Anthony sat nearby, not wanting to get too close to the strange men, but curious to hear what was happening. 

Albus Dumbledore was a curious man with an even curiouser twinkle in his eye. It seemed as though he knew much more than he was letting on, but Lilian knew not to ask any questions yet. He explained everything to them, that her brother had been sent to live with their aunt and uncle, but only one of them could stay there, and he had found the nicest family in the safest and most unexpected area to keep her safe. He explained that her twin had begun attending a wizarding school - Hogwarts - when they were eleven years old, and that he had been debating sending her there as well but wanted to create a plan. Her parents looked at her and she felt Anne tighten her hold on her youngest sister, scared of the implications of this.

“Of course you will need to be given instruction on what you have missed so far, but Professor Snape has agreed to take you under his wing should you choose to attend Hogwarts. You would need to leave by the end of the week and begin your instruction immediately, however,” Dumbledore’s voice repeated through her. 

The end of the week. She would be leaving her family, her life, her home at the end of the week.

She was confused as to what she felt - was this excitement or dread? - but looked up to her sister. Anne looked scared, her 17-year-old body trembling as she looked her little sister dead in the eyes. She paused, gave the girl a soft smile, and nodded before they turned to look at their parents. 

Geneva and James Henderson were terrified - what if something happened to their daughter? What if someone hurt her? - but they agreed in the end. Lilian Nichole Henderson - no. Potter - would begin her studies in England at the end of the week. She would finally find her answers.

***  
Severus Snape’s house was full of darkness. Books were strewn about haphazardly, potions ingredients were locked in a dark mahogany closet on dark mahogany shelves, and the black furniture was nothing to call the Prophet about. 

Upon her entrance into his home, Lilian Nichole Potter was struck by the complete parallel to her own home. However, one thing stood out amongst the rest. In the center of his office, Professor Severus Snape had a potions table, a book open and a brew bubbling in his ornate cauldron. Lilian Nichole Potter was awestruck, absolutely enchanted by the prospects of one day working on such a potion, and her awe remained on her face when Professor Snape entered his office to find a small ginger girl with green eyes standing next to one Albus Dumbledore. A small house elf was muttering behind him, ensuring she was holding the ingredients the way she was ordered to. 

Severus Snape’s eyes widened, taking in the image of the girl, of Lily, before he regained his composure, turning to Dumbledore with a cool expression.

“Albus,” he began, and Lilian Nichole Potter straightened immediately at the sound of his low drawl, “might this be the young Miss Potter?”

“Indeed Severus,” the man spoke quietly, his hand on the girl’s shoulder, “Miss Potter, if you could introduce yourself to Professor Snape, I must be on my way to attend to some business with Minerva.”

And with that, the man left the room with a loud pop, and she was alone with Professor Snape.

Lilian Nichole Potter was not good at introductions or fostering good relationships, and usually stuck to her books, but she had decided to make a new name for herself here, in this world where no one knew her. She ducked her head in a mock of a bow before looking the professor in the eyes and offering him her hand to shake.

“Lilian Nichole Potter, sir,” she spoke, her voice only shaking slightly, “but if you wouldn’t mind, please call me Nichole.”

Severus Snape shook her hand after a moment’s hesitation, watching as the girl shook slightly under his gaze, before immediately beginning her instruction.


	2. Chapter 2

Days went by and Nichole quickly began to understand most of the subjects taught at Hogwarts. Her favorite, however, was Potions. She spent hours under the watchful eye of Professor Snape, learning proper cutting and stirring techniques and asking question after question to ensure her brews were better than any others he had seen.

On August 8th, Nichole walked into the office to begin her studies when she was met with the sight of Professor Snape in a quiet discussion with a boy around her age. She quickly caught onto the conversation, understanding that the boy was asking about the correct way to extract Bundimun Secretion without burning his hands, and gently interjected, turning both of their heads.

“Well if you want to do it without burning yourself, you could always use gloves with a protection charm, and to avoid the vapours you could wear a mask over your mouth and nose,” Nichole spoke gently, hoping not to cause any issue.  
The blonde boy turned to her, his grey eyes piercing as he sent her a carefully practiced sneer.

“And who exactly are you?” He asked, an air of propriety and overly inflated ego swarming around him.

Nichole was taken aback, biting her lip as she fought off her anxiety. She glanced at Professor Snape, who walked toward her and stood behind her after giving her an encouraging nod. 

“Draco,” he began, placing his hand on her shoulder in a similar manner to Dumbledore, “this is Nichole Potter, sister of Harry Potter and, as of now, my tutee as she prepares to enter Hogwarts.” 

The blonde boy’s eyes widened and he opened his mouth to say something, most likely some rude bashing of her, when Snape cut him off with a raised hand.

“I will remind you, Draco, that we are not our family, and Miss Potter here has more than proven that with her potions ability. I will not tolerate foolish attacks whether verbal or physical in my household, and ask that you treat her as any guest.”

His drawl caused the boy - Draco - to swallow fiercely before nodding. Nichole let out a small breath, her shaking figure still held up straight by the hand on her shoulder. Her curiosity piqued at what the professor had just said, but she kept her mouth shut as he and Draco continued their conversation. 

Afterwards, Nichole found out that Draco would be spending the week with them, if not the rest of the month, as his parents were in Paris on holiday and he was Professor Snape’s godson. For a few days, the two 13-year-olds tiptoed around, avoiding each other like the plague, but on the third day, Severus grew tired of this and called them both into his office. 

“Nichole,” he began, “your proficiency in potions has astounded me thus far, and you have already completed what is required of you and more.”

The girl blushed, ducking her head down as he continued to speak.

“I am in need of Calming Draught for my stores, but I also need to work on my lesson plans for the rest of your studies this month. While I am working on these plans, I would like for you and Draco to work on the Calming Draught. I only need one cauldron, and it only takes 5 hours to make which should give me plenty of time to figure out all of the requirements for your charms class. Please begin immediately.”

With this, the tall man strode out the door, his robes fluttering behind him as the two students simply stared wide-eyed at the table. Draco moved first, coughing into his fist before speaking up. “Right,” he began, his accent growing more posh as his anxiety piqued, “I’ll begin preparing the base for the potion if you can grab the ingredients we need from the stores room.”  
Nichole simply nodded before shuffling towards the room, running through the list of necessary ingredients in her head. 

She returned to see Draco watching her with a careful eye, stopping only when he noticed her gaze on him. They began working, each worried about what the next 5 hours held.

***  
Lilian Nichole Potter had loved potions since she stepped into the office, and had quickly progressed in the art. However, today she felt as though she was doing everything wrong. Draco had to stop her from burning her wrist when she reached over to grab an ingredient, and she couldn’t stop shaking long enough to slice the crocodile heart properly, prompting Draco to gently remove the knife from her hands and do it for her. It wasn’t until 2 hours into the potion that she realized how kind he was being, and this sent her into a brand new spiral.

In the two days she had been around Draco Malfoy, she hadn’t heard much more than a grunt come out of his mouth as she passed him in the halls. Yet, here he was trying to be gentle with her as she consistently bordered on injuring herself. 

The next shock came for her when, at hour 2 and a half, the boy began to speak.

“So,” he began, her eyes snapping up at him, “your voice is different. You sound American. Where have you been all this time?”

After the shock left her body, she responded quietly, explaining her life and her family. 

“You live with muggles?” he asked in a disgusted voice before noticing her confused look.

“What’s a muggle?”

He sighed, rubbing a bony hand over his face. “Muggles are people with no magic, an absolute threat to our kind. They hate us.”

“Oh,” she said, her brow furrowed as she thought about her own family. “I don’t think they all hate us,” she whispered. “In fact, I know my family loves me.”

He looked up at her, eyes puzzled. 

“I thought my sister hated me for a while. But then when I left she held me and she cried. She doesn’t cry much, Anne. She just blocks out emotions with anger and sneers. But she was so sad, said she would miss me even.”

He watched her as the tears pooled in her green eyes, hands fidgeting in his lap before he brought one long finger up to wipe a stray tear away.

“I’ve only ever heard that muggles are idiots who know nothing about emotions or life or magic,” he began, his head pooling with thoughts, “we’re taught from a young age that they are the enemy and should be avoided at all cost.”

“In that case,” she began, “you would be very amused by my family.”

For the first time, she saw Draco Malfoy smile.

***  
Hour 3 and a half had hit, as had an entirely new subject.

“So,” she laughed as she watched the cauldron come down from a boil to a simmer, “you’re telling me that my brother is best friends with someone who can’t even use a fork?”

“Yes!” Draco laughed with her, and she found that she quite enjoyed the sound. “That stupid Weasel probably doesn’t even know what a fork is. I don’t know how Potter does it. Your brother seriously isn’t that smart himself but he seems much better at life than Weaselby. It’s a surprise that Granger puts up with them.”

“Who’s Granger? Another wizard?”

“Witch,” Draco mused, “she’s extremely smart and under other circumstances I would have loved to be friends with her, but she’s a Mudblood.”

“That sounds like an awful word,” Nichole looked at him, her anxiety starting up a bit when he shook his head and stared at the table.

“It is,” he began, “I probably shouldn’t use it but what else am I supposed to do when the child of the enemy comes to our school and beats me at every subject?”

“Easy,” Nichole said, pursing her lips. “You find a nickname that isn’t as mean and you apologize for ever using the bad one. I’ll even help you find a new one.”

He nodded, a soft smile appearing on his pointed features.

“And while we’re at it,” she continued, “we need to find a new nickname for my brother. I like you, but I hate that you’ve compared my last name to a toilet.”

***  
Hour 5 came with the final touches on the potion and the arrival of one Severus Snape. He glanced at the two students with an amused smirk before coming to inspect their work. After nodding in approval, he began bottling the potion into small phials, each containing a small dose for Madame Pomphrey’s usage.

Nichole and Draco left the room after, with the former watching intently as Draco taught her a new spell - Protego, he called it - for protection.


	3. Chapter 3

The nights were long and the days were short, and Draco and Nichole found that a week had gone by quicker than they thought. September was fast approaching, and neither student liked the idea of the small bubble they had formed being popped. 

Their rooms were across the hall from each other in the small house, and Nichole didn’t want to think about how that would change in a few weeks. She sat in the small bed, aching for her bedroom at home and wishing that her time here would never end all at once. Her fingers combed through her long hair, catching on a few knots as she did so.

The only thing that broke her from her stupor was the sound of a quiet sob coming from the room across her. She furrowed her brow, thinking she was imagining it, before the sound came again, and then again. After the fourth time hearing it, she moved the blankets off of her before tiptoeing over to Draco’s room, giving a gentle knock before entering the room.

Draco was curled up in his bed, his knees held tight to his chest as a few gentle sobs wracked his body. Nichole’s heart broke as she gazed at the boy, her footsteps almost silent as she made her way toward him and sat on the bed. He looked up at her as she brought her hand up to his face, stopping for a second when he flinched away before running her fingers through his soft hair. His pale blue pajamas looked out of place in the dark bedroom, and she almost chuckled when she noticed the small white dragons printed on his trousers. He sniffled as she glanced back up at him, her other hand coming up to softly brush his cheek as she watched his red-rimmed eyes. 

“Draco,” she spoke, finally breaking the silence, “what’s wrong honey?”

Her words were accented, the slightly southern accent coming out only when she was tired or with her mother’s side of the family. He looked at her, puzzled at the pet name, before scooting closer to her. After a few moments of shifting in which she had her hair pulled on accident way too many times and considered cutting it even more, they settled into a comfortable position, his head on her chest as she stroked his hair, placing small pecks on his head every once in a while like Anthony used to do when she had a nightmare. 

“I’m scared about tomorrow,” he whispered, and she felt confused until she realized that tomorrow, they were going to Diagon Alley. Tomorrow meant the beginning of the end of their small paradise. 

“I know honey,” she whispered before pecking his head again, “I am too. But everything is going to be okay. Who knows, we might even be in the same house!”

Draco let out a sad chuckle at that, playing with the hem of her pajama shirt as he spoke.  
“A Potter in Slytherin? Never happen.”

She sighed, wondering if this had to do with his apparent rivalry with her twin. “Why is that? Maybe I’m just as cunning and ambitious as you.”

He shrugged, a small maybe coming out of his mouth before he yawned.

“Draco sweetheart you’re exhausted.” Another shrug as he continued playing with her shirt. “You need to sleep, honey.”

“Can you promise me something first?” 

He sounded small, smaller than her (which she thought was impossible).

“Depends on the promise,” she whispered back.

“Promise me that you won’t forget me when you meet the others.”

“I could never.”

“Please promise me, love.”

“Love?”

“Yes”

“Well Draco,” she giggled quietly, “if you loved me you should have just told me.”

He hit her arm playfully before looking up at her, his eyes completely serious. 

“Promise me,” he said.

“I promise,” she said back.

***  
Severus Snape and Molly Weasley had never gotten along very well, meaning their ability to coordinate had always been somewhat stunted. This came to show on August 18th when, despite the agreement with Dumbledore that Harry and Nichole Potter should absolutely not - under no circumstances whatsoever - meet at Diagon Alley, both the Weasley’s and Severus managed to enter the shopping center on the exact same day.

It was only because of Severus’ careful analysis of the situation that he managed to keep Nichole and Draco away from the rambunctious group of gingers the entire day, his plan only faltering when they stepped into Madame Malkins as Fred and George Weasley stepped out, with only a nod and a glance accompanying their short meeting. 

Nichole, of course, was too taken by the blue shop to notice that the two boys were staring at her rather curiously, muttering to each other as they walked to find the rest of their family. Had she noticed, however, she would have heard one of the boys suggesting that Harry’s twin was alive and that maybe she was the girl who had just shuffled into the robe shop beside Draco Malfoy.


	4. Chapter 4

The next week, Lilian Nichole Potter spent more of her time in Draco’s room at night than she did her own, and was grateful that, for the time being, Professor Snape was spending the nights at Hogwarts preparing his quarters for his arrival. One night in particular, Snape had informed them that he would not return until the following afternoon, and asked that they do not disturb his office or touch anything not belonging to them. They had agreed, and he had taken off.

Nichole entered Draco’s room like she did any other night, only this time, he was holding her rather than the opposite. They spoke about their lives, as they always did, wrapped in each other’s arms and hiding in their bubble. They were speaking about Draco’s love of flowers when he suddenly stopped speaking, glancing down into her green eyes with his own silver ones. He furrowed his brow before pushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Nicky,” he asked, using her nickname, “are we friends?”

“Of course, Draco” the girl replied, stunned.

“Then why-” he stopped himself, sighing quietly as she cocked her head at him. “Why do I feel so different around you?”

“Oh..” she spoke, not knowing how to respond. She smiled at him, closing her eyes as he played with her hair some more. 

“Can I try something?” the boy finally spoke, looking into her eyes again once they had opened. She nodded, closing her eyes again as his lips came down to intertwine themselves with hers. The kiss was soft, gentle, and the exact opposite of how Anne had described it (what with its chapped lips and heavy hands). It was perfect. There were no fireworks like Elizabeth told her there would be, no instant possession, just warmth. Draco was warm, not explosive, and Nichole loved it. 

***  
The first of September came quickly, and both Nichole and Draco packed their things slowly, a terrified feeling coming over both of their bodies as they thought about the changes to come. As they made their way to the platform, Snape leading them briskly, Draco slid his hand into hers, squeezing it gently as they pushed their trolleys. She squeezed back, steeling herself for a moment before crossing through the barrier. She ran through the wall, away from what she knew and into the unknown.

The red and black train was the center of her attention as she waited for Draco. Once he crossed over, he lifted both of their belongings into the train, holding onto their carry-on bags with his right hand before grabbing Nichole’s with his left. They walked, slowly but surely, towards the train. They watched as families said their goodbyes, but tried not to pay too much attention to the tears in their eyes as they boarded the train, each thinking of their own families and wishing they were there. 

They sat in a compartment at the very back of the train, waiting for everyone to board. As other students slowly filed in, they gave Nichole odd glances, obviously wondering who she was. They would all find out at dinner, as Dumbledore had informed them that Nichole would be sorted after the first years. Until then, she would be sitting with Draco at the Slytherin table, so she had decided it was probably a good idea to meet some of his friends on the train ride rather than wait to be hexed at dinner.

He had told her about them during one of their late night talks. Pansy, with her shrill voice, was one of the most loyal friends he had. She would help him through schoolwork and talk him down whenever he was too stressed out. She was touchy because of the lack of affection from her family growing up, but Draco said she always treated him more like a brother than anything else. 

Blaise was quiet, calm, and collected, and had the most cunning out of Slytherin house. He was from a family notorious for being neutral, and stayed with Draco through tough nights, attempting to play devil’s advocate as he lamented over his puzzled feelings towards his father’s political views and teachings.

Both entered the train at the same time, looking for Draco before they finally stumbled upon the couple. 

Nichole was sitting, her head on his shoulder as he played with the tips of her hair, when she heard a deep cough from above them. Pansy sat down as Blaise quirked his eyebrow at the two of them. 

“Pansy Parkinson,” the short girl spoke, holding her hand out to Nichole, who took it graciously. “I’m assuming due to your position that you must be important to Draco, but I don’t believe we’ve met yet.”

“Lilian Nichole Potter,” Nichole ignored the wide-eyed looks from the two Slytherins, “but everyone calls me Nichole or Nicky. I’m just starting at Hogwarts, but met Draco over the summer when I was training under Professor Snape.”

Pansy gave her a shocked grin before Blaise sat beside her, reaching his hand out in the same fashion before turning Nichole’s hand to give a quick kiss to the back of it. “Blaise Zabini,” he spoke quietly, not saying much else as the train started.

The four began to speak, talking about the summer and how Nichole and Draco had ended up being so close, stopping briefly when the trolley witch stopped by offering sweets.

At around the halfway point of the train ride, Nichole decided it was time that she and Draco attempt to find her brother. Snape had said it would be better to speak to him on the train where he was much less likely to do something reckless, and Draco had agreed on the terms that he bring her there. 

They made their way around the train, checking compartments until, finally, they found a compartment containing a red-haired boy, a bushy-haired girl, a sleeping professor, and a boy with round glasses and a lightning-bolt scar. Nichole attempted to speak, her voice getting caught in her throat as she stared at the boy holding the door open. Draco squeezed her hand, urging her to speak, but the boy spoke first.

“Malfoy,” he glared, his voice angered, “what do you want?”

“Potter,” Draco spoke, his voice soft for the first time in front of Harry. The black-haired boy stood stark, startled by the change in character. “I’m simply here to accompany her, that’s all. Please just ignore me.”

Harry finally looked at the girl in question, Nichole staring down at the floor as the two spoke. When she looked up, red hair and matching green eyes, he cocked his head to the side in confusion. 

“Have we met before?” He whispered, his own voice catching him off guard.

“Well,” she said quietly, her voice a shaking mess, “technically yes. We lived together until we were a bit more than a year old.”

Harry’s eyes widened as he looked at her in even deeper confusion. 

“My name is -” she broke off as the train screeched to a halt, all of them looking up in confusion. As they glanced down the hall, they saw the lights shut off one by one, and felt a cold air creep upon them. Draco dragged them both into the compartment by the hems of their shirts as the black figure flew towards them. They couldn’t manage to close the door in time, and Nichole saw nothing but a black void and a flash of green, hearing a high pitched scream as she fell to the floor.


	5. Chapter 5

Professor R.J. Lupin waved a piece of chocolate under two noses, two very very familiar noses, and had to stop himself from shouting with glee when one of them woke. 

Harry woke first, confused but okay, talking about a scream as he munched on the chocolate.

“Lilian,” Remus whispered, waving chocolate under the girl’s nose as Draco held onto her hand and squatted on the floor. “Lilian you need to wake up.”

The girl stirred, her eyes peeking open into a familiar face. Those scars and that sandy hair were all too familiar, and she imagined red blocks and a disfigured voice calling out a name, a name that was just on the tip of her tongue. 

Her mouth felt like it was full of cotton as Remus used the same technique to reorient her vision as he did with Harry.

“Can you both tell me your name, age, and location?” Remus coaxed, his voice gentle.

She remembered hearing that voice during family dinners.

They spoke at the same time.

“Lilian Nichole Potter. 13. Train.”

“Harry James Potter. 13. Hogwarts Express.”

Harry looked at her with wide-eyes, pushing himself away from her as Ron and Hermione both gasped. 

“What did you say?” Harry asked.

Draco was still rubbing her hand. It was warm. Draco was warm, but Nichole was cold outside of that one spot. 

“My name is Lilian Nichole Potter. I’m 13 years old. I’m on a train.” 

She gulped as Harry stared at her incredulously. After a brief moment of silence, Remus returned from his talk with the conductor and other staff, and found three gobsmacked students, one terribly anxious one, and one worried one. 

“Lilian,” he began, sitting in front of the girl as he ignored the others.He watched as Draco continued to rub the back of her hand. “Can you speak?”

She opened her mouth before swallowing, shaking her head in the negative as she stared at something just beyond his shoulder.   
“Okay, it’s going to be okay.” Remus looked at the girl, his hands on her shoulders as he spoke. “Your father used to have these kinds of attacks back in school, too. They’re not too uncommon, and I used to be the one to talk him down. But you need to listen to me, can you do that?”

“Yes Uncle Moony,” the girl whispered, her eyes glazed over. 

“You remember…” he began to speak before shaking his head. “Nevermind that. I need you to breathe with me. In and out slowly. Just like that, yeah.”

Before long, the girl was looking into his eyes instead of over his shoulder, listening to him as he spoke.

“Now I need you to tell me some things okay?”

She nodded.

“Can you tell me where you are?”

“Train,” she gulped, “in a compartment.”

“Who is here right now?”

“You, Draco, Harry, two other people. Hermione and Ron, right?”

Draco spoke for the first time in a while, startling Ron and Hermione. “Yes, love. Good job.”

“Lilian,” Remus spoke again, “can you tell me what you feel right now?”

“Cold. Scared. Hand is warm, but that’s Draco.”

Ron looked over to see Malfoy smiling, actually smiling, and thought that he must be dreaming, but looked at Harry and thought that it had to be a nightmare. His best mate was still shocked, trying to process it all. 

Ron remembered learning about the Potter twins when he was younger - how they had both survived, but one of them went missing while the other was hidden. He wondered if Harry had never been told about his sister, and was angered when he realized he had a part in Harry’s reaction.

Remus continued talking the girl down, getting her to focus on one thing at a time before giving the reins to Draco, who simply shifted in front of Nichole and began speaking to her, asking her questions about potions.

“What is the best way to avoid burns from Bundinum Secretion?” Her eyes finally lost their glaze as she began laughing, startling the other three students even more as her laughter became so hard that she began crying. 

“I love how that’s what snaps you out of it,” Draco grumbled, remembering their first meeting. 

“I’m sorry honey but,” Nichole stifled her laughter as she continued, “the look on your face when I showed up in Snape’s office just.” She burst into another fit of laughter.

***  
Harry James Potter knew nothing of his twin sister. He only knew that he was the Boy Who Lived, and that his parents had died protecting him. He had never heard of her small house in North Carolina or her letter or her family.

Harry James Potter thought that maybe he really knew nothing.

When, after her panicked state had gone away, the girl in question turned to him, he finally snapped out of his stupor. 

“I have a sister?” He whispered quietly, before repeating again louder. “I have a sister and no one thought to tell me?”

Nichole looked at him and only him as he glared at Ron and Hermione, and thought that maybe he didn’t get the same letter, or maybe their aunt and uncle wanted to protect him and didn’t tell him in case he did something reckless. Draco had said that Harry James Potter was prone to doing reckless things. 

“Harry,” the girl named Hermione spoke quietly, and Nichole thought that such a powerful woman should never speak so quietly (especially not if all the stories Draco had told her were true). “Harry, we thought you knew. We thought you didn’t mention it because you were grieving.”

Nichole’s head spun to face her. “Grieving? Why would he be grieving me?”

“Well everyone thought you were missing,” the red-headed boy spoke, his voice steady and deep. “Dumbledore said that you had gone missing while they hid Harry away and that he had no idea where you were.”

Nichole’s brows furrowed again.

“I was in North Carolina. Dumbledore wrote a letter explaining that there was only room for one of us at our aunt and uncle’s and that they were going to take care of Harry while my parents took care of me. He told me we both got the letter and were supposed to know about each other.” She looked around at the sad faces in the compartment. “That doesn’t make any sense.”


	6. Chapter 6

Lilian Nichole Potter was finally inside the Great Hall, sat in between Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini as Pansy Parkinson and Daphne Greengrass made comments about each student’s sorting. She clapped along with the rest of the Slytherins as students were gained, and for any other student who was sorted. 

Once her time had come, Dumbledore stepped up to the podium, speaking to the entire school as he waved his hands around and told the story of the Twins Who Lived. 

“...as such I believe it is time for all of you to meet another new student at Hogwarts.”

Whispers erupted from all around the room, and Draco squeezed Nichole’s hand as she shook.

“Lilian Nichole Potter, please make your way to the Sorting Hat.”

All eyes were on her as she walked slowly toward the hat, whispers wondered why she had been sitting at the Slytherin table and whether it was really her. She glanced at the Gryffindors as she sat on the stool, Harry giving her a soft smile. 

The hat sat on her head for a moment, contemplating what to do.

“Well, another Potter,” a grumbling voice spoke in her head. “You’re a lot like your brother. Ambitious, brave, loyal, and a deep thirst to prove yourself. You’re too loyal to people who may break your trust, but too ambitious to let them get in your way. You’re not quite brave enough to face an army on your own, but you’re brave enough to make sacrifices for those you love. Your knowledge is thorough, with a focus on the more powerful things in life. I know just where to put you…”

With a roar, the hat spoke out loud, shocking the entire hall into absolute silence.

“SLYTHERIN!!”

Nichole sighed, ignoring the worried stares she got as she made her way back to her earlier seat. The Slytherin table had burst with energy, clapping loudly as Nichole reached Draco. He grinned, the biggest smile she had ever seen from him, and hugged her close to him before bringing her lips to his quickly.

She looked over to the Gryffindor table once more, seeing Harry give her a worried glance and a soft smile, and Hermione give her a thumbs up. Ron was much too worried about the food that had just appeared, and Nichole laughed as she remembered what Draco had told her about the boy. 

***  
With the feast over, Nichole and the little group she had found herself a part of made their way to the Slytherin common room, ignoring the whispers all around them. They were just about to leave the hallway to the Great Hall when Draco stopped her, allowing the others to go ahead without them. She was about to ask him what was going on when he brought her closer to the large door. Three familiar people walked out, along with a few others.

“Potter!” Draco yelled, catching the group’s attention before pointing at Nichole. Harry shook his head and walked over to the couple, the others in his posse following closely.

“Hey,” Nichole said quietly, Harry responding with the same word in the same tone. Draco turned Nichole to look at him, ignoring the gasps of a few Gryffindors.

“I’m going to be right down the hall, darling, but I want you to get a minute with them.” Draco gave the girl a kiss on the head before turning away, her gaze following after him. 

Harry coughed, bringing her attention to him before introducing her to his friends. They were all very wary of her at first, mostly due to her being a Slytherin, but quickly realized that the short, anxious girl was nothing to be scared of. After a few awkward minutes, the group began talking and laughing and joking around, and Harry realized that maybe his sister wasn’t so much different from him.


	7. Chapter 7

Classes began as classes usually do, with Nichole carefully organizing all of her schoolwork into timeslots and frantically rushing through her papers to ensure she didn’t miss anything. She had found herself wildly unprepared for Care of Magical Creatures in the morning, and was scared of the textbook, to be completely honest.

Draco walked with her, the rest of their group following closely, with Crabbe and Goyle at the front. She supposed they were alright, but they reminded her too much of the boys who would bully Anthony for being small back home for her to fully trust them. 

Draco seemed to dislike Hagrid when she spoke to him before, but his behavior in class was getting on her nerves, and the second the words “big oaf” came out of his mouth, she took her hand out of his, glared at him, and walked away. He seemed shocked, stuttering a bit before following her. 

“What’s wrong?” he asked as they waited for Hagrid. She shook her head, reading her textbook as she ignored him. “Darling…”

“Don’t call me that right now,” she spoke angrily, and Draco realized it was the first time he had heard her sound angry.

“Why not?” He asked shakily.

“Because if you think that everyone who isn’t a pureblood is so beneath you and that you can just insult them and I’ll stand by you then you are absolutely mistaken.” Students began to listen in as they gathered around the two. “My siblings are all muggles. My parents are muggles. They may have adopted me, but they’re still my family. So if muggles and half-giants and everyone else are so far below you, then you definitely shouldn’t be with someone who lives with them and loves them.”

Draco looked at her, taken aback and speechless for a moment. Harry had come to the front of the crowd, looking like he was going to punch Draco if he spoke another word, but Draco didn’t care. He was beginning to think maybe he deserved to be punched.

“Darling…” He whispered, only to be interrupted by a sharp glare from Nichole and the sound of heavy feet walking over to their group. 

The rest of the lesson progressed normally, with Draco remaining silent the entire time. Although they were a bit scared of the Hippogriffs, no injuries happened and no harm was done as long as everyone stayed quiet and respectful. 

***  
The Slytherin common room was quiet, nearly silent as everyone made their ways to bed. It was only nine pm, but everyone wanted to get to their dorms and away from the tension of the fighting couple as quickly as possible.

Nichole was on the armchair, her nose in her Divination textbook as she read about tea leaf reading. Draco sat awkwardly on the couch, waiting for the last student to leave before he walked over to her.

She paid him no mind as he crouched down in front of the armchair, begging to talk to her. Finally, once she had had enough, she sighed, putting her book on her lap before looking at him with angry eyes.

“What is it, Draco?” She spoke to him with gritted teeth, trying not to let her temper get the best of her.

“Can we please talk?”

She sighed again, shifting her position again to look at him properly before gesturing for him to speak.

“I’m sorry,” he began, looking her in the eyes, his silver orbs pierced with determination. “I said some horrible things and I’ve been a horrible person. I shouldn’t think that I’m better than anyone but you have to understand that I was raised with all of this pounded into my head. When I got here, I started thinking that maybe I shouldn’t be so cruel, but then every one of my friends agreed with me other than Blaise, so I just kept going. I’m trying to fix it, love, I promise.”  
By the time he finished, he was crying, soft sobs wracking his body. Nichole sighed as she moved to hold him, whispering in his ear as he cried. 

“It’s okay, honey,” she whispered. “I forgive you.”


	8. Chapter 8

The next few weeks went by normally. Well, as normally as they could with the constant murmuring about Sirius Black. Nichole was worried, as was Harry, and they both spoke about it over lunch in the Great Hall. Their groups hadn’t fully integrated yet, but whenever Nichole sat at the Gryffindor table, Draco joined her, sitting quietly and only interjecting when she prompted him to. It was small, but it was a start.

Her parents had, of course, signed her Hogsmeade slip, and she was excited to see what Draco had planned for their small date to the village until she saw Harry sulking on one of the benches near the Great Hall the night before.

“Harry?” The girl’s voice carried through the nearly empty hallway and her brother looked up at her. “What’s wrong Haz?”

“Can’t go to Hogsmeade without a permission slip,” he muttered, kicking a small pebble as she sat down next to him. The girl looked at him, puzzled.

“Did our aunt and uncle not sign it? Why not?” She questioned as he huffed out a sigh.

“Well, unlike your perfect family Nicky, I didn’t get as lucky,” Harry muttered, causing Nichole to jolt back in shock.

“Harry what are you talking about?”

Harry scoffed. He didn’t particularly like speaking about his muggles, but he figured at least his sister should know so she didn’t ask to visit or something. Ron knew the basics - that he had bars on the window and such - but no one really knew what happened at Number 4 Privet Drive. 

“Let’s just say that I’m not exactly liked at home,” he said quietly, staring at his hands as they sat in his lap. Nichole put her hand under his chin, gently coaxing his head up so he faced her as she looked into his matching eyes.

“Hazza what do they do to you?” Her voice was soft, and Harry thought that maybe that’s what their mother would sound like.

“It’s a long story,” he mumbled, regretting his idea to tell her.

“I have time,” she retorted, and he launched into a tale of sadness and neglect and, oftentimes, horrid physical abuse.  
***  
James Henderson had been abused as a child, and all his children knew this to be true. They had never met their grandfather, as he had died before Anne was born, but none of them wanted to with the stories they had been told. He had been thrown down stairs, punched more times than he could count, and spent every morning driving his father to the liquor store in time for opening so the man could get more vodka. He had come out of his childhood bruised and scared to smile due to the damage to his teeth.

When James received a letter from his youngest daughter, explaining everything her twin had told him about his own childhood, the man was furious. Later on, Anne and Elizabeth would tell Anthony that they had heard their father yelling about “worthless no good assholes” for two hours before sitting down to reply. 

The letter to Nichole Potter was delivered on the morning of the Hogsmeade trip, along with a second letter addressed to Harry Potter. She gave it to her brother, along with a lingering hug, before meeting her boyfriend for their date at Madame Puddifoots. 

Hours later, after handholding, buying too many sweets and gifts for Harry, and sweet nothings whispered over butterbeer, Nichole and Draco returned to Hogwarts with the rest of their class, excited to show Harry what they had gotten him (and yes, Draco had gotten him quite a few items from Zonkos under the guise of doing it for his girlfriend). 

They slowly made their way to the Gryffindor common room, walking beside Ron and Hermione and chattering about useless things. Upon entering, the quartet immediately spotted a familiar head of black hair, hunched over on the couch and shaking. The room felt colder than the biting November winds outside, and Nichole had to stop herself from shivering too loudly (her body too used to the much warmer North Carolina winters she had grown up with). 

The four wavered, debating on what to do silently, before Nichole finally walked up to her brother, squatting in front of him and grasping the letter in his hands. He looked at her, eyes widening before he got down onto the floor and hugged her tight, muttering gratitude over and over again.

The letter, addressed to Harry Potter from Mr. James Henderson, explained that the family would much rather Harry spend Christmas at their home than Hogwarts, and that they would be more than willing to make arrangements for anyone else Harry wished to be present to stay. It also asked various questions about Harry’s likes and dislikes in the muggle world, and her father explained that, while he wished he could go about getting him wizarding items he was fond of, he was sorry to say that he had absolutely no idea what anything was other than the few things Nichole had told him. He went into further detail about how Anthony was excited to meet him and have another boy in the house, and that the girls had already begun baking with their mother and finding presents for the boy.

Harry didn’t have to tell Nichole that he had never felt more at home than this, and Nichole didn’t have to tell Harry that she knew. It was all there in that giant bear hug that Nichole began to call her “Harry Hugs.”


	9. Chapter 9

Christmas came sooner than expected, and Nichole and Draco were both nervous and excited. The Hendersons and the Malfoys would both be on the platform waiting for them, and both had been informed that they would be meeting their children’s significant others. The two had decided that they would meet with the Malfoy’s first, then explain that they needed to meet with someone else before Draco went back to them - to avoid the Malfoy’s meeting Nichole’s muggle family. Nichole hated it, but Draco assured her that it would all be okay and they would meet together as a whole once his family had gotten more attuned to her presence.

The two made their way off the train, telling Harry and the others to wait while they spoke to the Malfoys, and hurried off, Nichole trying hard not to shake and to use the poised posture she had been taught in her younger years. 

The long blonde locks of Lucius Malfoy were not hard to spot, and Nichole straightened up more as they came face to face with the Lord and Lady Malfoy. Lucius glanced up and down at the girl, a sneer coming onto his face before Narcissa smiled at her, reaching out her hand as she introduced herself.

“Narcissa Malfoy,” her voice was saccharine sweet, full of soft elegance as Nichole took her hand, curtseying softly and kissing the back of it. “Who might you be, dear?”

“Lilian Nichole Potter,” Nichole spoke gently, glancing into the woman’s eyes as she did so. Lucius glared, the only thing stopping him from speaking being his wife’s quiet chuckle.

“It’s a pleasure to meet such a poised young woman,” Narcissa spoke quietly, “despite her last name, I am pleased with this match Draco. I wish you both well.”

Lucius did not look quite so impressed, but simply huffed as Nichole and Draco took their leave, the former slumping into his open arm as they reached their friends. Harry waited nervously, jumpy as he thought about his first normal Christmas. Nichole smiled gently as she gestured for him to follow her, meeting the five other Hendersons halfway.

Nichole squealed when she saw her father, running and hugging him with an exclamation of “Daddy I missed you so much!” as the other two waited awkwardly behind her. Anthony was the first to approach them, asking them both if they liked Sonic video games, to which Harry said he didn’t know yet and Draco asked what on earth a video game was. Once Nichole and her father parted, she hugged her mother and her three siblings before going back to Draco and Harry.

“Mom, Dad,” she began, “this is my twin brother, Harry James Potter, Harry these are my parents, James and Geneva”

After a few minutes of chatter, she cleared her throat. “And this,” she said softly, “is my boyfriend, Draco Malfoy.”

Her father and brother both glared at the blonde boy, causing him to gulp as he stared at the athletic body of her 15 year-old brother and the muscles and calloused hands of her adoptive father.

“Mister Malfoy,” her father began through clenched teeth, “if you ever hurt my daughter, I have a bullet at home with your name on it. All it takes is one fuck up and you’ll be looking right down the barrel of my shotgun, understood?”

Draco nodded despite not knowing what a bullet or shotgun were, and mumbled that he would never think of hurting her.

The matriarch of the Hendersons swatted her husband on the arm, her short figure coming forward to hug Draco and welcome him to the family. After a few minutes of chattering, they all decided to part ways and head home.

***  
Christmas with the Hendersons was a loud affair, what with the children running around and the dog getting overly excited at the herds of family hanging out at the house. Harry found himself overwhelmed, but definitely in a happy way, as the Hendersons asked him loads of questions. He and Nichole both had to remind the other Henderson children multiple times that they were not able to use magic outside of school, and were met with the same annoyed grumble each time. 

The tree was covered in mismatched ornaments, each one thrown on by a different member of the family, and a brand new ornament was bought to celebrate Harry’s first Christmas with the family. Harry had cried in the room he shared with Nichole that night, and she had held him and told him it was okay to feel loss for the years he didn’t have, but that he needed to realize he was family now and this was what families do. 

They found themselves in the opposite position a few nights later, when Nichole received a letter from Draco and realized just how much she missed him. She cried into Harry’s arms, and he thought to himself that if someone had told him a year ago that he would be holding his sister as she cried about missing Malfoy, he would have told them to join Lockhart in the Janus Thickey ward.

They spent Christmas morning with the rest of the children in the living room opening presents, and then had breakfast with the whole family, sipping Christmas mimosas and eating her father’s famous crepes. Afterwards, her mother’s side of the family joined them and more presents were opened. Nichole laughed as her siblings tried Bertie Botts for the first time, and cried when she opened her present from her Grandmother, a photo album for when she got homesick.   
They left the home at the end of break with Harry being called to speak with Mr. Henderson. Once the conversation ended, with a teary eyed Harry clinging onto Nichole’s shirt, the family met Hagrid at their portkey and landed on the platform. They all hugged goodbye as the two boarded the train and immediately sought out their friends. 

***  
Harry James Potter grew up with a family who thought they were normal, but he had always known otherwise. He had been their dirty little secret since he was small, and had never experienced true “normalcy” before. When, on his way to his third year at Hogwarts, he had sat with his best friends and a sleeping professor, he did not expect the small moment of peace to be interrupted by a decidedly less “not normal” than usual event. 

The months after meeting his twin sister, Harry had spent learning about his family, Sirius Black and, surprisingly, Draco Malfoy. It had been a very not normal year, even more so than usual. His sister was so similar to him, yet so different, and he often did not know how to react to the girl. Her attachment to Draco had been perhaps even more unexpected than her existence, and in the months leading up to Christmas the blonde boy had been less rude than usual. He rarely spent time with the entire group, but Harry had seen the looks they gave each other and the small signs of affection, and couldn’t bring himself to tell the girl about the true Draco, not yet at least. 

During Christmas, Nichole had seemed happier, lighter, and much less anxious than he was used to. He had assumed that it had to do with the drama and constant movement around Hogwarts, but when she informed him that she had been less anxious because she had gotten a new prescription for Prozac, and had felt less anxious after about a week of adjustment. She admitted that James Henderson had been helping her quite a lot, explaining his own experiences with anxiety and how he handled it despite a lack of anxiety-reducing drugs during his years in school. Harry hugged her at the admission, and said he couldn’t wait for her to experience Hogwarts without constant shaking and muddled thoughts addling her mind. 

Harry had asked her more questions about her anxiety afterwards, wondering how she got through classes even though she seemed to be shaking nonstop every time he saw her. She explained that it was different when she was in class because she was able to focus on one very specific thing, but when they spoke to his friends they were all over the place. She explained more the next day, when he asked why she had specified that his friends acted that way, and she responded that Slytherins “weren’t really talkative.” 

He learned more about the Slytherins during that holiday than he had in his entire time at Hogwarts, and Nichole continued to explain that they seemed mysterious but they were really just patient, constantly waiting for the other person to speak as they planned what to say next. She explained that while Ron, Hermione, and Harry all spoke over each other, overlapping their phrases, Blaise, Pansy, and Draco listened intently and made a calculated analysis of the conversation before responding. She explained that her friendships and relationships with them were different because they knew how to speak in ways that would not scare her off. He felt his mental images of the Slytherins fall apart as she explained how Pansy would come comfort her after a nightmare and how Blaise would glare at anyone who tried to come near her in the common room without her express consent. Perhaps the most shocking of all was when she told him about Draco - that he had discovered a way to sneak into the girls dormitory to calm her down whenever Pansy wasn’t there, that he had formulated a special calming draught that would help with her anxiety before bed but strayed away from using anything addictive, and that he would hold her hand under the table in the Great Hall to make sure she didn’t feel alone. Harry wanted to believe that it was suspicious - that there was no way Draco Malfoy of all people would do such things, but she kept talking, explaining that he was only like that with her and that she was trying to get him to open up. Harry thought that, for once, he understood Draco Malfoy - that maybe he wasn’t all Harry thought he was.

Harry was in love with Nichole’s adoptive family, and her father’s parting words to him at the doorstep only made him feel more safe with them. 

“I know what it’s like to live where people don’t love you, but I promise you we will get you out of there one way or another.”

Harry knew things were finally changing for him, and felt like he could breathe for the first time in his 13 years of life.


	10. Chapter 10

Lilian Nichole Potter had never felt as conflicted as she did when she crossed the barrier onto Platform 9 ¾. She missed her family dearly, but the idea of seeing Draco, Pansy, and Blaise was making her bounce with excitement. The platform was bustling with students excited to see their friends again after the holidays, and Nichole and Harry’s presence soon ended with them swarmed by a mass of Gryffindors. Nichole felt completely overwhelmed, on the edge of an anxiety attack before a familiar hand slipped into hers.

Pansy Parkinson was a quiet, calming presence, and her small hand often found its way into Nichole’s in an attempt to drag her out of a panic attack. She knew how it felt to be overwhelmed in the presence of a crowd, and her own anxiety often got the better of her. She gripped Nichole’s hand tightly as she dragged her away, getting them to a less crowded spot by the loading area of the train. Nichole thanked the girl quickly before hugging her, and the two settled into an easy conversation about the holidays, each girl glancing around in search of their other two friends. 

It wasn’t until about ten minutes later that Blaise and Draco arrived, each hugging the girls, with Draco placing a short kiss on Nichole’s cheek before the group continued speaking about the holidays. 

The train was full of students, and it took forever for the four to find an empty compartment, getting into the rhythm of things before the door opened to show Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood looking worried and dreamy respectively. Draco tensed beside Nichole, leading the girl to squeeze his hand before smiling at the two.  
“Hey guys,” she said quietly, motioning for the two to enter the compartment. Both, however, stayed stark still as Neville stared at Draco with fear and Luna watched Blaise with a puzzled expression. “What’s wrong?”

***  
Harry James Potter did not, under any circumstances, cry in front of anyone. He did not even shed a tear, but everything came crashing down around him again. He had never told his sister about the story of Sirius Black and what he had done to their family, and he had never felt like he had messed up quite so bad. 

He broke, finally, in front of Ron and Hermione in their compartment on the way back to Hogwarts. He barely noticed when Neville and Luna walked past, seeing Ron try to calm him down as Hermione held onto him. He did not notice that Ron nodded to Neville when he mouthed something. He did not notice when the two walked away.

He did notice, however, when the door opened and Hermione moved away. He noticed that new arms wrapped around him, and instead of smelling vanilla perfume, he smelled cinnamon and ginger. He noticed that his sister’s voice began to fill his ear and that Hermione and someone with a posh voice had begun speaking in hushed tones. 

Once Harry began noticing things, the compartment came back to him through blurred vision, and he began breathing normally. Nichole was beside him, that was what he noticed first. She looked worried and continued to play with his messy hair even though she looked like she would start ripping out her own wavy red locks any second. Ron was still kneeling in front of him, his large hand resting on Harry’s tiny knee, and a relieved smile was faintly found on his lips. The last thing Harry noticed was that Hermione was near the door, speaking to one Pansy Parkinson, and Draco Malfoy was sitting quietly next to him. 

“Alright there, Potter?”

Draco’s voice was quiet, quieter than Harry had ever heard it, and he had to wonder if this was the same voice Malfoy used to talk his sister down when she got like this. He had to wonder if this was normal for them. 

Harry nodded, still unable to speak, and he swore he saw Malfoy smile. It was odd, he thought, that someone so horrid could seem so kind. He was brought from his thoughts by Hermione and the small brunette she had been speaking to sitting across from him. Finally, he spoke, telling the story of Sirius Black and, subsequently, the story of himself. 

***  
Draco Lucius Malfoy had never liked Harry Potter, not since his handshake had been rejected in first year. He had never hated him, not really, but the sting of rejection was still present three years later. When he met Nichole, he wanted to hate her too, but she was different. She was trusting, and let him make mistakes. She taught him how to go against what his father had taught him, and made him see things in a new light. 

He had heard of his cousin Sirius, heard his mother speak of when Walburga Black disowned him, and had heard of his relationship with James Potter. He never understood how someone could go against the Pureblood ideals so deeply ingrained in their minds since birth, and her especially didn’t understand how they could do so for someone who denied every aspect of it. He didn’t understand any of that until now.

He had also heard of how the same cousin had turned against his friends, and as he sat listening to Harry tell the story of Sirius Black and everything involving him he had to wonder how anyone could do this to a child. As he watched Harry’s face, listened to his voice crack as his hand tightened around Nichole’s, he couldn’t help but think that he could end up like Sirius Black, and that all he wanted to do was fight that. He looked up at Pansy, knowing she was thinking the same thing. 

He had never been this close to Harry Potter without fighting, but right now all he wanted to do was hug the poor bloke. He watched a tear fall down Nichole’s face as she listened, and wished he could move around to hold her without drawing attention to himself. Once the story ended, and the group got off the train to enter the school, Draco Malfoy knew he would never be the same again. The Potters had changed that, and he wondered if Sirius Black had felt the same thing when he became James Potter’s best friend.

***  
Pansy Parkinson had never liked muggleborns, but her distaste for them had only ever been that - distaste. She had grown up hearing the same stories as Draco, learning that muggles and their spawn were enemies of the wizarding world. She learned from her father that they would kill her at a moment's notice, and learned from her mother that if she formed relationships with anyone outside of a pureblood family she would be disowned.

When Pansy met Nichole Potter, she was shocked to say the least. The small girl had been raised by muggles, was a stranger to their world despite being a half-blood, and yet she had captured all of Draco’s attention. Pansy had always had Draco’s attention, being the only girl in their group to actually hold a good conversation. Daphne and Millicent were too deep in a book to pay attention, and Draco hated it when all focus was not on him. Pansy thought that maybe the Potter girl wasn’t so bad, and maybe she was okay with his attention being elsewhere. 

The first night in their dorm had been hectic, and Nichole was overwhelmed by the sudden change in environment. Daphne was too busy studying ahead for Transfiguration to notice the way the girl was trembling as she put her clothes away. Pansy, however, was used to focusing on the small signs present in other people. She had grown up knowing that every move was calculated, but Nichole’s seemed too erratic to have any thought behind them. Pansy was no stranger to anxiety, but her ability to hide her tremors seemed much better than the Potter girl’s, and she knew that all the girl needed was to know that she was safe. Draco had explained her anxious nature as he waited for her to return from her talk with Harry, and she had hung onto every word the blonde said, ensuring that Nichole would be taken care of. After all, Slytherins took care of their own. With this in mind, she had pulled the girl by the hand onto her bed, silently shimmying into a comfortable position as she held the red-head. The other girl had stiffened a bit, before mumbling something and sinking into Pansy’s arms, and Pansy thought that maybe they could be friends.

Now, sitting in the Great Hall next to the same girl, she could see the same telltale signs as before. Her hand instinctively found its way into Nichole’s shaking one, and she watched as the girl turned to give her a nervous smile before leaning into Draco, not letting go of Pansy’s hands.

Pansy remembered in that moment how Hermione had looked when the three of them had approached their compartment, leaving Blaise behind to do some “light reading” (although they all knew he just wasn’t comfortable with Potter yet). She recognized the same worried glances she herself had thrown at the other Potter twin, the small parallels making her realize something: maybe muggleborns (or at least Hermione) weren’t that bad after all.


	11. Chapter 11

Lilian Nichole Potter didn’t know what to think. She listened to the story her brother told her, but something just didn’t seem right. Why would someone go against their entire family and become friends with someone who they seemed to love dearly just to turn around and betray them? Something wasn’t right, and something also wasn’t right with the way Draco was looking at her. It was like he was looking at her but not looking at her all at the same time, and his usually piercing grey eyes had gone stormy and dull. 

The walk back to their common room was silent apart from their footsteps, and Nichole found herself gripping Pansy’s hand tighter than she ever had. Draco strayed behind them by a few paces, and Blaise was a few feet ahead of them with Daphne, Millicent, and Theodore. Once they had entered, most of the group made their way to the couches, but Nichole stayed back, waiting on Draco to catch up to her before gripping onto his hand and pulling him away. 

“What’s going on?” The girl wasted no time asking the tall blonde. He shrugged, not giving a full answer, and glanced over at their friends. Nichole sighed and nodded. “Tell me when they go to bed?” A short nod was all she needed before they made their way over to the group.

Once everyone had gone to bed, the couple sat in front of the fire, settled in on one of the large black sofas. Nichole glanced up at Draco, waiting for him to start speaking, but instead of words a single tear fell from his eyes, rolling down his cheek and landing on his robes. Nichole moved swiftly, bringing her hand up to cup his cheek. “Draco, talk to me.”

***  
Draco Malfoy did not fall apart in front of people, not until he met Nichole Potter. His tears were shed only in the confines of his four poster bed, where not even the house elves would see his sadness. Tonight, however, he fell apart in the arms of a girl who he was terrified of. He was not terrified of what she would do to him, rather what he would do to her. The fourteen year old, who had felt so strong and in charge, had become a scared boy again, and it was in that moment that he realized that that was all that he was - a boy. 

He knew that his family had a habit of choosing the wrong side and favoring prejudice over fact. He knew that their fear and thirst for power had driven them to choose extreme methods to ensure blood purity and status remained a constant in the family. He knew that anyone who went against this was cast off and sent to live Merlin knows where.

He knew that Sirius Black had been one of them, and then he had turned back.

He had only heard of one family member who had successfully turned away from their family values and lived a happy life - and that person was nothing like him. He found his own story was similar to that of Sirius Black, too similar. He, too, had found the light under the guidance of a Potter, and was unsure of what to believe at this point. He, too, was still in his family’s good graces at the moment, and had not openly gone against any family values yet. But he knew he would, if she asked him to he would. 

He knew that he was a few steps away from becoming the next Sirius Black, but he was terrified of the last step. He didn’t want to be bad, he didn’t want to murder or betray anyone. 

He didn’t want to cause the demise of someone he loved.

He told her this, sitting in their common room on the first night back after break, and he cried as she held onto him, telling him he would never be like Sirius Black. He cried as she told him that he was different - that he was changing. 

He cried as he realized that he would never be free of the expectations placed on him by being both a Black and a Malfoy.

He cried, and then he fell asleep.  
***  
Professor Remus John Lupin had decided to teach Harry Potter about the Patronus charm. He had seen as the boy struggled to find a happy memory, and had wondered why. It was only upon speaking with Lilian Nichole Potter during her own lesson that Remus realized what had happened. Harry had been sent off with relatives, he had been told, but he never knew that they had placed him with Petunia. 

Remus remembered the shrill girl, remembered hearing her call Lily a freak every time they mentioned magic. He remembered being referred to as horrid names by the girl, and remembered hearing Lily sobbing when her sister refused to come to her wedding. He remembered James holding the red-haired woman, promising that they would fix things with Petunia when they were able to go out of hiding. He remembered everything.

He remembered, and he knew that Harry was treated even worse. He knew that the boy had been too small - James had been tall, as had Lily, and it didn’t make sense for Harry to be quite so small. He saw how Harry picked at his food in the Great Hall, and how timid he was when Ron and Hermione weren’t with him. 

He wondered how he hadn’t caught onto the implications before. He wondered what he could do. He had no claim to Harry - Sirius was his godfather, not Remus. Remus was a werewolf, and there was no way the Ministry would allow him to take Harry in. 

When Nichole explained her own adoptive family, telling Remus that they had agreed to fight for Harry, that they would help him, he sighed in relief before continuing with their lesson. The whole time, he wondered why Sirius had to do what he did, why he had to mess up so badly that their best friend’s child spent his childhood feeling unloved and unwanted. 

He wished, desperately, for it to all have been a lie. 

He knew it was when Harry Potter was in his office, claiming that the map was broken and that Peter Pettigrew had been running around the halls.

***  
Lilian Nichole Potter was never one for adventure, but when she ran into Harry on her way back from visiting Hagrid, Draco’s arm slung around her shoulders and Crabbe and Goyle following them silently, she found herself riding along for one of his acts of Gryffindor bravery. 

Buckbeak had never harmed anyone, but some of the parents were concerned with his presence on campus, and the Ministry was coming to take him away that day. Hagrid mentioned that if he couldn’t provide a proper home for Buckbeak by the time the Minister arrived, the poor creature would be put to death. 

He had had no luck so far. 

Harry, Hermione, and Ron were on their way down there, and asked Nichole to join so they could talk about Sirius. Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle all decided to head back to the common room, and Nichole thought that maybe it was for the best - Draco was still beating himself up over his self-comparisons to Sirius Black, and she didn’t want him to become even more upset. 

The night went horribly, just as she had originally expected, but Hagrid was able to inform the Minister of a proper place for Buckbeak, which made them all shout with joy once they had cleared the forest. 

She felt like she had been impaled when the Whomping Willow first hit her, and she couldn’t help but regret her decision to join her brother and his friends during their little escapade.Once they finally made their way into the Shrieking Shack, she felt an overwhelming sense of dread. She knew the man in front of her, and a deeply hidden part of her memory showed her images of the man smiling, his leather jacket twirling around as he lifted her and spun her around the room. She could hear his laughter, hear distant voices speaking, saying words like “Moony” and “Prongs.” 

When Remus entered the room, she remembered hearing him referred to as “Uncle Moony” by a voice that was so foreign, yet so familiar. 

Sirius Black and Draco Malfoy were a lot more alike than it seemed, she thought. Only, Draco didn’t know the true story. It was there, in a shack surrounded by Severus, Remus, and Sirius, that she learned the truth about what happened that night, and saw the trembling rat of a man try to explain why he betrayed her parents. 

It was there that she looked at Severus and asked him to cast a body-binding spell on the man and take his wand from him. It was there that she held her brother close to her as they discussed what to do. 

It was there that she thought she would lose her uncles in the same night she found them.

***  
Severus Snape was very good at a few things, one of them being the ability to focus all of his attention on a spell. 

When Remus Lupin turned that night, his eyes did not waver from Peter Pettigrew’s floating form, and he listened as Sirius Black told him to take the man back to the castle - that he would get the children out.

He listened, and brought the man to the Headmaster’s office, calling the Ministry as soon as he arrived. 

***  
Sirius Black woke up in the holding cell at the top of Hogwarts, but he did not wake up expecting the Dementor’s kiss. Peter Pettigrew had been taken into custody by the Ministry, and Albus Dumbledore had personally spoken up for Sirius Black.

Sirius Black was not a free man, not yet, but he was well on his way to becoming one. He was so close to being the man Harry and Nichole deserved to meet.

He remembered their faces the night before, both excited as they spoke to a man they hadn’t seen since they were so small he couldn’t believe it. He saw flashes of the babies they had been before, and he saw James and Lily in them both. 

When the twins came to visit the beaten up man that morning, they brought someone with them - a platinum blonde boy who reminded him so much of Narcissa it was insane. He thought that this had to be little Draco.

They spoke to him, the blonde standing silently behind Nichole with his hand being gripped in her much smaller one. Sirius watched as the boy grew more and more relieved - watched as he turned into someone all too familiar. He watched and wondered how, so many years after his own childhood, he was looking into the mirror yet again.

***  
Harry James Potter had never had a family before, not really. Now that he did, he held his sister close and kissed the top of her head. Now that he did, he held Sirius’ hand through the bars on his cell. Now that he did, he hugged Remus before boarding the train back to Kings Cross Station. Now that he did, he found himself swept up into the arms of James Henderson before they headed back to America for the summer.

Now that he did, he never wanted to let them go.


End file.
